and at a cost of $800 billion, according to the department of defense. and, of course, more than a 100,000 iraqis also lost their lives. joining us, michael o'hanlan, senior policy fellow at the brookings institution. here with me in new york, jeremy scahill, national security correspondent for "the nation" and author of "dirty wars" due to pub lilish next month. the first lady spent time today with veterans of the war. the president issued a statement honoring those who paid the ultimate price. has this become a war that americans would prefer to consign to distant memory? >> hi, martin. well, i think the short answer is, yes. i also very much appreciate your introduction and starting with remembering our veterans. because i think rather than this being seen as a day to commemorate either a victory or defeat, it's a day to commemorate the service of so many. because as you say, the cost has been enormous and the costs are right before us. the costs have largely already been paid. the benefits, which i hope will ultimately be substantial, are nonetheless